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Patented Feb. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES KARL H. WHITNEY, OF KIRKSVILLE, FACTURING COMPANY, INC., 0F SOURI PATENT OFFICE SHELF Application med February 10, 1928. Serial No. 253,416.

My inventionrelates to im rovements in shelves adapted to be detachaly applied to closets and similar places Where a shelf is desirable. One of its objects fis-:to provide a shelf adapted to be detachably mounted between two substantially rigid abutments, such for instance as the opposite walls of a closet, or bath room. Another ob'ect is to provide a shelf adjustable as to length to enable it to be detachabl mounted within a considerable range of imensions in such localities and between such abutments as may be available for the pur ose. Another object is to provide a combine detachable shelf and cabinet. Another object is to provide a combined detachable shelf and closet bar adapted tosupport articles of clothing. Another object 1s to provide an improved detachable and adjustable shelf of sheet metal construction. Another object is to provide an improved adjustable shelf having shoes especially adapted toengage the shelf with its supporting abutments. 'My invention also comprises certain details of form and arrangement and combination of components, all of which will be fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a shelf emying my improvements and before being adjusted into position relative to its support.-` in abutments.

ig. 2 is aside elevation,

completed adjustment of the tion relative to its supporting abutment/s.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the shelf sections detached.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly in section of the other shelf section detached.

Fi 5 is a plan viewl of the shelf in position or use.

Fig. 6 is a plan of the blank shelf section.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one modification of m invention, 1n which 15 represents one shel section and 16 represents another shelf section. The shelf is illusillustrating the trated constructed from sheet metal, but may be constructed from other material if desired. The section l5 .comprises a top plate 17 of sheet metal with downwardly turned side shelf into posi.

edges 18 and 19, and one end 20 bent back upon the under face of the end of the top plate 17 and formed into a transverse channel 21 adapted to receive a shoe 22 of soft rubber, sheet cork, or similar yielding or resilient material. The ends of the side edges 18 and 19 serve to close the ends of the channel 21 and also to engage lugs or projections 24 at the free ends of the channel 21, to further strengthen and support the channel member and shoe 22 against distortion orl displacement under strain relative to the top plate 17. The side edges 18 and 19 are each rovided with a row of perforations 25. The side edges 18 and 19 give strength and rigidity to the to late 17.

e shelf section 16 has a top plate 26 of slightly less width than the top plate 17. The side e es 27 and 28 of the section 16 are turned ownwardly from the edges of the top plate 26 to give stren th and rigidity to the top plate 26. One en of the top plate 26 is bent backwardly upon itself and formed-into a transverse channel 29 ada lted to receive a resilient shoe 30 similar to t e shoe 22. The free edge 31 of the channel member 29 is provided at opposite ends with lugs or projections 32, which engage and are supported by the ends of the side edges 27 and 28 against displacement of the channel member 29 un der strain. The side ed es 27 and 28 are each provided with a perfgoration. A pin or hinge axle 34 is passed through one pair of the perforations 25 in the side edges 18 and 19 and through the perforations 38 in the side edges 27 and 28, so as to hinge the two shelf sections 15 and 16 together with a portion of the section 15 overlapping a portion of the section 16 where they meet. The pin 34 is selectively inserted into one oi other of the pairs of perforations, depending upon the length of shelf required, or the distance between the supporting abutments 86 and 37 to which it is desired to attach the shelf. The length of the shelf may thus be adjusted to the space available between the supporting abutments by moving the pin 34 from one to another pair of the perforations 25, to change the location of the hinge, and either increase or decrease the extent to which the wop section 15 overlaps the section 16. The pin 34.- permits the sections 15 and 16 to have a hinge adjustment upon the pin 34 of nearly one hundred and eight degrees, being limited in one direction by the sections engaging their lower faces together face to face, and in the opposite direction being limited when the shelf top plates 17 and Q6 extended into sub stantially one plane with the overlapped portion of the top plate 17 in contact with the overlapped portion of the top plate Q6.

In operation the total length of the shelf is ad.` usted to the space between the supporting a ntment by shifting the pin 3d from one pair of perforations 25 to another. The shelf with the two sections l5 and 16 adjusted to an angle one to the other substantially as shown in Fig. 1 is inserted between the abutments and the shelf sections 15 and 16 straightened out into alignmentso that the Shoes 22 and BO'first engage the respective abutments, and are finally firmly thrust endwise of the sections 15 and 16 into engagement with the abutments as the overlapped portions of the top plates 17 and 26 come into contact face to face and limit the hinge movement of said sections, holding the sections 15 and 16 in alignment in substantially one plane, and spanning the space between the abutments.

My improved shelf is adapted to be readily set up Wherever a shelf may be required in a bath-room or closet, or between the up` rights of a door frame or window frame` and possessed of sufiicient strength to support any weight ordinarily required to be supported upon a shelf. Where the shelf is designed for use in a closet or bath-room, a closet bar 41 is designed to be dependently supported from and a short distance below the shelf by means of wire hangers or loops 42, secured in any convenient manner to the shelf. Where the shelf is designed for use in a bathroom, a medicine cabinet or shaving cabinet 4:3, preferably of sheet metal having a door 44 and a mirror 45 mounted in the face of the door, and providing storage in the interior of said cabinet for shaving articles or medicines. In order to conveniently hold the cabinet 43 in place upon the shelf, I have shown perforations 46 through one of the shelf sections to receive corresponding lugs projecting downwardly from the cabinet,

which lugs may be clinched if desired to lockthe cabinet 43 to the shelf.

The apparatus herein shown and described is capable of considerable modification with in the scope of the claims Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A closet shelf adapted to be detachably supported in position through a thrust of its ends against abutments, comprising a first shelf section of angle cross section, a second shelf section of angle cross section overlap ping one end of said first shelf section through a portion of its length and hinged to said first shelf section at one end of said overlapped portion, the overlapped portion serving to hold said respective sections in substantially one plane, said shelf sections each having a shoe socket formed integrally therewith at one end, said shoe sockets each consisting of a tongue of sheet metal extending from the ends of the shelf member, folded upon itself and having an additional portion parallel to said folded portion, and a resilient shoe located in said shoe socket.

2. An extensible and detachable closet shelf comprising a relatively wide channelshaped first shelf section, a relatively wide channel-shaped second shelf section adapted to nest into said first shelf section and to overlap a portion of the length of said first shelf section, said shelf sections each having a shoe socket formed integrally therewith at one end, a hinge at one end of the overlapped portion of said shelf sections adjustable relative to one of said shelf sections to increase or decrease the extent of said overlapped portions, and serving to hinge said shelf sections together', and a shoe at the extreme end of each shelf section seated in said shoe sockets, said shoe sockets each consisting of a tongue of sheet metal extending from the ends of the shelf member, folded upon itself and having an additional portion purallel to said folded portion, and a resilient shoe located in said shoe socket.

3. An extensible and detachable closet shelf adapted to be self-supporting between two substantially rigid abutments by a thrust of the shelf ends against said abutmcnts. comprising a first shelf section of angle cross section having a shoe socket formed integrally therewith at one end, a second shelf section of angle cross section having a shoe socket formed integrally therewith at one end, said shelf sections having their meeting ends overlapping one another, a hinge member located at one end of the overlapped portions of said shelf sections to connect said shelf sections together, said hinge member being adjustable relative to one of said shelf sections to increase or decrease the overlapped portion of the shelf sections and thereby alter the total length of the shelf, said shoe sockets consisting of a plurality of side walls and a back Wall, having two side walls and said back wall formed of a single tongue of sheet metal extending from the ends of said shelf.

In testimony whereof I have aiixed my signature.

KARL H. WHITNEY. 

